First Breath After Coma
by jemsizzlee
Summary: Drabble, pretty AU.


Jerrica dragged her feet as they approached the front of the gym. By them she meant all the four body guards flanking her as well as the several more watching the plaza's perimeter's, outside her line of sight.

She was planning to attend a morning yoga class and really the entourage was not necessary. Despite her protests Rio insisted they accompany her and she complied because really she needed a break from the confines of the apartment. While the home gym had every piece of fitness equipment imaginable she needed to get out of the house. Rio kept her under strict lock and key the majority of the time, sending assistants to handle all household needs. Aside from his employees her contact with the outside world was minimal and she was morbidly bored and lonely. She desperately longed for sunshine and freedom. The only sunlight she saw filtered through the high end bullet proof glass windows of the condo revealing a magnificent view of downtown. Now the sun was blazing and felt amazing on her skin, warming her to the core. The prospect of human contact, albeit sweaty, cheered her and there was a skip in her step.

They had just reached the sliding doors, the whoosh of A/C a satisfying relief from the sun, when Jerrica realized she'd left her wallet in the car, gym club card included.

"Damn", she said, rummaging in her purse, turning up nothing.

"What happened", Rafael asked. He'd been assigned head of Jerrica's security for as long as she could remember and she loathed him. He made watching her every move his life's work and she could sense his ulterior motive. The way his gaze always lingered just a second too long, committing her image to memory.

"Let my club card in the car, I'll just grab it really quick."

"That's not necessary, Rio owns this club."

But Jerrica was already jogging toward the car. "It'll take two seconds", she called flippantly over her shoulder.

Once she reached the car she glanced back at the group expectantly, waiting for them to unlock the vehicle. She didn't see Rafael with them but shrugged it off, the familiar chirping of the car unlocking distracting her. Jerrica quickly reached under the passenger seat dislodging the backpack she had stored there. She quickly slipped it on, quietly clicking the car door shut behind her. Keeping low she began dodging between the cars in the lot. At the far end of the lot was a high chain-link fence. If she could get over that fence, her freedom would be waiting. There was a transit station located on the other side of the fence and she could see a train approaching in the distance, she just had to reach the fence…

She felt like Sleeping Beauty caged up and locked away, life passing her by. A year ago things had been completely different. She owned a considerable stake in a prominent company and considered herself a savvy business woman. Now she was a lap dog, waiting for her next hand out. The company had taken a dive, getting caught up in a scandal and was unable to save face. Rio had shown up showing interest in purchasing the company, rebranding it and remaking it completely.

They'd met at a business meeting to officially hand over ownership of the company. Rio was enthralling, full of knowledge and affluence and Jerrica was at rock bottom. He'd wined and dined her all over the country as well as those neighboring it. Before she knew it she was waking up in his condo, her clothes appearing in his closets, it seemed overnight. At first she didn't fight it, after hitting rock bottom it felt like she'd hit the jack-pot.

Everything went wrong fairly quickly after that. Rio would come home angry demanding to know her whereabouts for the day, confiscating her cell phone and laptop to investigate her faithfulness to him. She'd just sit there as he fumed, raving at her, spewing obscenities in awed disbelief. What happened to the man she adored?

Shortly after came the guards, following her everywhere she went but even that wasn't enough. He couldn't allow her to wander the streets with the masses without his personal protection. It's not that he didn't trust her; it was everyone else he'd slurred.

She sat there wringing her hands in her lap, fingernails digging into her palms. "You know this is kid-napping, right." Fury had etched Rio's face as he'd backhanded her, whipping her head to the side. She could taste blood in her mouth, staring at him dumbfounded she tried to focus her gaze, closing her eyes when she couldn't. She lay there as his footsteps retreated, door slamming behind him. There were no tears just a strong realization that she'd been welcomed into her own personal hell.

She couldn't live like that anymore. The train whistling in the distance spiked her adrenaline and she ran full force toward the fence, keeping her head down as she weaved between cars. She was about a quarter mile from the fence when Rafael stepped out from behind a sedan cutting off her exit.

Shit.

She spun on her heel and used her momentum to propel her to the hood of the nearest car. She scrambled to the roof and immediately leapt to the roof of the next car, picking up speed. She could hear Rafael curse beneath her as he followed closely. Jerrica touched down on top of a Honda Accord, directly in front of her was a U-Haul van, if she could just get to the roof, she could easily jump over the fence and make a break for the station. She steeled herself quickly and sprinted down the front of the Honda throwing herself toward the hood of the van. She could already taste freedom, the screeching of the train's brakes sounded like homecoming.

Mid-air she felt something grasp her ankle yanking her back. Her stomach dropped as her view violently jolted 180 degrees, only to catch up quickly with her body when it slammed full-force unto the roof of the van, denting it. Its alarm immediately began sounding, drowning out the footsteps quickly approaching to where she lay sprawled across the hood. Jerrica fought to stay conscious, panting heavily as she struggled to catch her breath. Rough hands grabbed her around the waist and yanked her down the hood until her feet rested on solid ground. Dazedly she tried to look up but the same hands shoved her back into the hood.

Nice try", Rafael said. "Things were starting to get boring following you all the time. I finally got some action to get my blood pumping."

"Fuck you!" Jerrica spat.

There was a tearing sound as Rafael ripped the backpack from her shoulders, then wrenched her arms behind her back, securing them neatly with a zip-tie. He kicked her legs apart spreading her out beneath him. She froze as he leaned in close putting his weight on her.

"Don't tempt me" he murmured.

The weight lifted from her aching arms and another hand fisted in her hair jerking her upright. He spun her around and shoved her forward; she could see a limo parked a few feet away, idling at the curb.

When she didn't move he dragged her toward it by her upper arm. Opening the door he threw her in roughly, door slamming shut behind her. She lay there for a minute trying to sort out the previous events. Not until he spoke did she realize she wasn't alone.

"Jerrica", he said softly. She whipped around to face Rio, fear setting in her joints.

Spread out on the seat next to him was the contents of her backpack; a change of clothes, her passport and wallet.

"Come here", he said calmly.

She collected her limbs beneath her, swaying a bit as the limo moved, and shuffled forward until she fetched up between his legs. Her head hung, too terrified to look him in the eye. A strong hand closed around her chin and titled her head up. Her eyes remained trained on the floor unable to face him.

Rio took in the face before him; the red-rimmed blue eyes threatening to spill, her cheek dirty where it had been pressed to the hood of the van. He thumbed the split in her lip from when she'd fallen.

"I told them to be gentle", he murmured.

He pulled her to him smoothing back her hair until her breathing evened out.

"Where were you going", he asked. Jerrica shook her head wordlessly.

"You know I have to punish you right." He could feel he body tremble as silent sobs racked her frame.

He continued to rub her head and back until she fell into a fitful sleep. Reaching into his pocket he withdrew his pocket knife and slit the zip-tie binding her wrists. He brought them into his lap and rubbed them restoring circulation. Bruises had already begun forming where the ties had cut in too deep. Rio smoothed over bruises and faint white lines that wouldn't fade. Scars from a previous time, when he'd been careless but he was wiser now.


End file.
